•by Dawn King•Sometimes we find ourselves swept up in the frantic pace of today’s demands. It can throw us off center, make us feel out of sorts or overwhelmed. Each moment we have the opportunity to bring our consciousness back to the calm center of simplicity within. Just take a conscious breath.
Like a deep-sea diver, breath is our life line to existence here in a physical body. Without breath we lose our connection not only to here and now on planet Earth, but to our own spirit as it’s functioning here. Spirit will go on after the body loses breath, but in life we regain our spiritual connection and strength each time we take a conscious meditative breath. Yoga teaches us a lot about breath.
In our daily practice, we can combine frequent conscious breaths with consciously calming and centering ourselves—remembering we are spirit inhabiting this body for only a short time in eternity. This is exactly what we do in meditation, which can lead us to life-changing revelations, feelings of complete love and joy, states of ecstasy.
When I take a conscious breath during a busy day, I recall the peace, or the joy, or some other tremendously comforting experience from a meditation. It could be from an experience I had many years ago. These experiences are precious gems that can develop like illuminating crystals within us if we continue to honor and recall them.
Brother Lawrence wrote: One way of easily recalling the mind is not to let it wander during the day. I keep myself in God’s presence by simple attentiveness and a loving gaze upon God which I call the actual presence of God. Or to put it more clearly, an habitual silent and secret conversation with God. The more we keep our minds on God during the day, the easier it will be to do so during meditation.
Your own spirit wants to lead your life, to give you all the wonderful insights and experiences that would inspire you to find joy in each day. You only need to take a breath with complete desire and openness to experience the unconditional love your spirit truly knows as its own.
•by Norman Paulsen, Sunburst Founder•The nature of the universe is love—unconditional, unending. We think we lose loved ones, that’s an illusion. We find them again in the future. This was all wrought not that you suffer, but that you joyfully exist in it; to realize how wonderful, how thrilling it is to be in your body, this great atomic structure produced by light and consciousness.
Yes, who created us? Who sustains us? Who keeps all those electrons in obedient orbit? I Am That I Am does! It is dreaming, through our self-conscious minds, that it is you and me and everyone else. But when it wakes up into Christ consciousness, it knows who it really is.
Think of what life would be if everyone was fully conscious of I Am That I Am within themselves. That is why we pray and meditate—to know and speak with our Creator face to face.
If people’s lives could be changed just by hearing the truth, the whole world would now have salvation. Humanity has been preached to for over 2,000 years, and yet many have not changed their lives. It won’t do any good for any of us to be preachers. We must be demonstrators, overcoming the world as Christed Jesus did, and as he continually asks us all to do.
Yes, everything we accomplish here in our lives is automatically broadcast to everyone on this planet. They’ll receive it in their dreams, and their subconscious mind, in their inspiration and their intuition. Every obstacle anyone overcomes for the sake of Christ consciousness will be felt by everyone on this planet; that’s how it is.
Therefore, the true preaching means living the spiritually conscious life ourselves to the best of our ability today and every day. When you accomplish this, the world will change around you. In short, we have to live a spiritual life completely and totally in action, in all aspects. Let this be our mission.
•by Barbara McCaughey •A documentary about near death experiences intrigued and amazed me. Six people retold their stories of being absent from their physical bodies long enough to recount thoughts and sensations that took place during that time.
One man recalled how small actions during the day can strongly affect the people present and, like the rippling effect of a rock thrown into a pond, they continue to bless or stress future encounters in an ever widening circle. Sa’Di is quoted: “To give joy to a single heart by a single kind act is better than a thousand head bowings in prayer.”
This become obvious in my own life when I needed to fill a prescription at my local pharmacy. At first visit, the clerk saw the high price of the medicine and expressed concern that the sale was not covered by insurance. She asked me if I would prefer to take less, or if there was another option open to me. Next the pharmacist assured me that he would check the price since it had doubled after my previous refill. That evening I reflected on how much I appreciated their caring, especially considering their daily volume of work.
At my next visit, the two original employees were not present, and I was told to come back another time for answers to my questions. This was a big inconvenience and when I did come back there was a very long line.
Finally reaching the counter, I was unprepared and take aback at the cashier’s stern pronouncement: “That’s the price. You want it or not?” When I asked for half of the medicine so I could pay for it, a large fee was tacked on, making that cost prohibitive as well. My level of frustration was leading to my feeling anger and disappointment that I’d been unable to improve the situation.
I found a quiet place to sit in silence and regain my composure. Breathing deeply, I felt the natural love of Spirit return to fill the space my ego had just occupied. It amazed me that two seemingly identical missions could have such different outcomes. Then the realization dawned on me that it was my own responsibility to meet trying experiences without resistance, like an aikido master who easily averts a blow which may be meant to wound him. Nothing outside of ourselves can wound our perfect souls. Unless we clash with or absorb adversity emotionally, mentally or physically, we can remain spiritually centered and in balance, unscathed.
Later in the week I came across this anonymous quote which spoke to me: The golden rule is of no use whatsoever unless you realize: It is Your Move! Remaining centered in our true selves, our perception of reality shifts to see the perfection of Spirit’s creation, and we see ourselves as a harmoniouspart of it. Then Source, the Universe, God speaks for us and the ego is tamed. We can appreciate every opportunity to bless this world with kindness. It’s worth the effort to try and try again.
• by Valerie King • When the year 2000 came around, and I wrote “000” so many times, it made me stop and reflect. The zeroes felt like a new beginning, a fresh start, a time to plant good seeds, a time when humanity has entered undiscovered country.
About that same time, I read an article that said time was going to start speeding up. I wondered what that meant. How can time speed up? Soon I began to understand that it meant our planetary karma was speeding up. Humanity as a whole is going through a tremendous growth spurt, which can be painful at times.
The intense pressure for change is upon us all, pushing us into new adventures. We are all experiencing the necessity of reviewing our lives, our choices, and making changes. Now more than ever, we must make the time daily to connect with the Divine, to listen to that quiet inner voice speaking of love, kindness, and virtue. Following is a timely message for us from a Hopi Elder:
“You have been telling the people that this is the Eleventh Hour. Now you must go back and tell the people that THIS IS THE HOUR. And there are things to be considered…Where are you living? What are you doing? What are your relationships? Are you in the right relationship? Where is your water [coming from]? Know your garden. It is time to speak your Truth. Create your community. Be good to each other. And do not look outside yourself for the leader.”
Then he clasped his hands together, smiled and said, “This could be a good time! There is a river flowing now very fast. It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid. They will try to hold onto the shore. They will feel they are being torn apart and will suffer greatly. Know the river has its destination. The elders say we must let go of the shore, push off into the middle of the river, keep our eyes open, and our heads above the water.
“And I say, see who is in there with you and celebrate. At this time in history, we are to take nothing personally, least of all ourselves. For the moment that we do our spiritual power and journey comes to a halt. The time of the lone wolf is over. Gather yourselves! Banish the word struggle from your attitude and your vocabulary. All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.”
•by Michele Pike•Everyone we meet is defined by so much more than the role they play in their family, at work, or in their community. Nobody is just a mom, dad, sibling or friend. We are all children of God, divine aspects of Spirit. We each bring a unique and important expression of I AM to this world, one that is to be appreciated.
Most of us could use a reminder now and then that everyone we meet is Spirit. We can be grateful for each beautiful and singular soul. We can thank Spirit for all the many faces that recall the One, our universal Mother and Father.
In our reflections of gratitude, let us not forget ourselves. Remember to be accepting and loving to the irreplaceable aspect of God that you embody. No one else can bring to the world the particular combination of gifts that you do. Be thankful of your own divinity. Express it, for in expression it is given substance, fulfillment.
Beloved Spirit, I am so grateful for all my brothers and sisters. I appreciate and honor each one as a magnificent realization of you. Let me express the love I feel for them by always remembering their inherent divinity. Amen.
“Only in embracing all, can we become the arms of God.” – The Illuminated Prayer
• by Dawn King • One of the qualities that I believe is intrinsic to Capricorn and Sunburst’s virtue of Temperance (or moderation) is self-discipline. As you read this, we may not be experiencing the Sun rising in Capricorn each morning, yet mindfulness about self-discipline is part of the spiritual path.
Telecasts in February of Carnival (ending with Mardi Gras) brought this to mind for me. Mardi Gras is a festival of indulgence in excess, sometimes called “enjoying life,” because the revelers think they will soon be deprived of some enjoyment until Spring. In earlier times, the remaining winter stores of lard and butter, or meats, were consumed then. Perhaps it was just before they all went bad due to lack of refrigeration. After this consumption, “fasting” began.
We’ve heard it said: “A sad saint is a sad saint indeed.” Enjoying life is our birthright, but overindulgence in just about anything is unhealthy. Mira Alfassa tells us: “Spiritual life does not mean contempt for matter, but its divinization. We do not want to reject the body, but to transform it. For this purpose physical training is one of the means most directly effective. I invite you to train with enthusiasm and discipline.”
Physical training for any type of sport or recreation also improves our emotional and mental fortitude. Kriya Yoga is an “action” yoga (Kriya means “action”), but with the right intention and direction. “Yogic action has three components—discipline, self-study, and orientation toward the ideal of pure awareness.” – Patanjali, “Yoga Sutras,” [translation by Chip Hartranft, in “The Yoga-Sutra of Patanjali”]
Mardi Gras inspired me to choose a new action that I could mindfully engage in daily until Spring (Easter). I knew that it would help me develop self-discipline. As Norman Paulsen, Sunburst’s founder, has said: “True discipline is never a restriction; it is a liberation!”
